CPDM statement against War on People
PR from CPDM (Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur))

Imphal, 1 December:

Convention Against War on People
Friday, 10 a.m. -7 p.m., 4 December 2009
Speaker's Hall, Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi.
Organized by Forum Against War on People

Dear Friends,

CPDM is grateful to have the opportunity for being with you all who have gathered here.

Most of us are concerned about the escalating scale of war on people perpetrated by the state mercenaries in several parts of present day Indian sub-continent. Under the aegis of the bourgeoning Indian capitalist rulers who are in control of the state and the media, war crimes are being perpetrated with immunity everywhere wherever democratic movements towards durable peace, development and democracy become prominent. On this occasion of the Convention Against War on People I would like to seek for your attention towards the prevailing war on people in Manipur.

Historical Background

(1) Present India is a post 1947 political invention under the vested capitalist initiative of the Indian ruling class by overriding the national interest of several ethnos and political communities. The principle of voluntary unionism had not been followed.

(2) The history of war on people may be traced as early as the year 1948 when several Mao Nagas of Senapati District and Hmar in the Tipaimukh regions who had asserted for local self-determination were repressed and some were killed for their democratic aspiration by the then Manipur government under the instruction of the Indian rulers. In the valley there was heavy repression upon attempted communist revolution carried out under the leadership of comrade Irabot from 1948-1951. Since the early 1960s several Naga peasants have been facing the brunt of military occupation leading to physical assaults and restriction of free movement for sources of economic livelihood. Since 1980 to 2004 Manipur as a whole was physically, economically and psychologically affected by military rampages under the provision of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. There are several other repressive and suppressive acts as well to curb democratic movements.

Stage of War since 1949

Present stage of war on people in Manipur is illustrative in terms of the character manifested in the crisscrossing tactical and structural arrangements.

Tactical collusion:

(1) The Indian rulers (industrialists, compradors, and business establishments) have capitalist interest duped geo-strategic exigency in Manipur. Manipur serves as the market, sources of raw materials and military base for the expansion of Indian capitalism in Manipur and in the Southeast Asian regions.

(2) The bulk of the Manipur upper class cutting across community affiliation had class interest; although purposefully to retain political power in their hands they at times clubbed together political, regional and communal interests in election campaigns and other sectarian assertions. They became the Manipur rulers and supported the Indian rulers as long as the Indian state would serve their interest.

(3) The Indian rulers have found reliable ally in Manipur rulers and have erected puppet governments in successive terms who in their turn mortgaged Manipur to capitalist enterprises and perpetuated class order as well. Communal and armed agents are being reproduced, if not recruited from amongst the Manipuri people to defend Indian capitalism and fight against the democratic forces. Several misguided youth lured by prospect of private property or disillusioned by the relative weakness of revolutionary propaganda have either joined the rank and file of the imperialist mercenaries in waging war on the people or have became effective tools of carrying out communal politics.

Structural arrangement:

(1) Firstly, armed forces (including the union paramilitary forces) are carrying out unrestraint war on people with immunity under the provision of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958.

(2) Secondly, police forces (particularly the Manipur Police Commando) who are lured by money and prospect for promotion are carrying out massive looting and fake encounters.

(3) Thirdly, underpaid auxiliary forces that are being recruited on contract basis such as the Village Volunteer Forces in hill districts and Special Police Officers or Village Defense Forces in the valley districts are the camp followers of the regular forces in carrying out widespread hunt for democratic activists.

(4) Fourthly, gangsters in the guise of revolutionary who are operating either from inside state jail or under the command of the security forces are carrying out rampant looting, killing and psychological propaganda to confuse the people between gangsters and democratic activists.

(5) Fifthly, communal warlords and conservative reactionaries are being sponsored respectively to divide the people vertically along communal lines and to divert the focus of the democratic movement.

(6) Sixthly, several undercover secret agents, both regular & part time informers are operating as watchdog upon democratic activities and to advance psychological warfare in order to misguide the oppressed and the exploited people and to deviation them from democratic movement towards personal interest and sectarianism.

(7) Seventhly, the war on people is being covered up by articulating official jargons such as 'war on terrorism,' 'counter insurgency,' and 'law & order problem' and so on. A wrong picture about the democratic movement in Manipur is being depicted and widely published across the Indian sub-continent and beyond by the imperialist media.

What are the impacts of war on people?

(1) Politically, since the 15th October 1949 the political community of Manipur as a whole had not been able to exercise their right to political self determination (right of accession or secession inclusive).

(2) Structurally, the bourgeoisie democracy in Manipur is governed by a puppet regime composed of the Manipur upper class under the strict surveillance of a Governor instituted by the Indian state. At the grass root the backbone of the government is provided by a bulk of the forces that are being mentioned under the subheading of structural arrangement.

(3) Economically, while the Indian capitalism (mixed up market expansion and finance imperialism) installed upon a semi-tribal cum agro-based backward economy has drained the wealth of the people and reduced Manipur to dependent on imports for food and other consumer goods; there has been increasing displacement, marginalization and pauperization in the name of development projects under the protection of security forces such as forcible construction of capitalist dams, power projects, and offices & institutional buildings.

(4) Physically and psychologically, increasing militarization has created reign of terror leading to insurmountable human rights violations and long lasting psychological effect or war hysteria among the affected population.

(5) Constitutionally, rights to life and democratic rights are being denied. The space for democratic assertion of civil, political and economic rights has been shrinking. There has been heavy crackdown upon civil society organizations for exposing state terrorism. The number of persons convicted, tortured and jailed or killed for their democratic ideas and initiatives has been increasing. For fear of state repression and brutality several of the war affected persons are forced to submit to the class rule against their own democratic conscience.

(6) Finally, under the patronage of the Indian rulers sectarianism and communalism continued to play a divisive role in addressing the fundamental question of democracy from either sectarian or communal perspectives. As a result no unified democratic force under a common banner capable of overthrowing the class ruler could be developed.

Fundamental question

(1) The war on people does not distinguish people along communal or regional lines and the war impact is being felt similarly by the affected people. No particular community or region is responsible for the rampant capitalist onslaught in the name of security and counter-terrorism.

(2) If the class rulers are united for common purpose there can be no reason why the organizations representing the oppressed and the exploited peoples are not united in their just struggle against the common enemy.

(3) We need to contextualize the war paradigms of the ruling class and accordingly carry out over encompassing ideological propaganda and political assertion for a democratic society free from any form of suppression and exploitation. And the emancipated peoples should enjoy the right to either voluntary unionism or secession based on common consent to be drawn out of the objective material condition.

Down with war on people
Long live democracy

Sd/-
CPDM
Delhi: 4 December 2009

Download the original invitation for "Convention Against War on People"
at 10am - 7pm, 4 December 2009 (Friday)
Speaker's Hall, Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
here (PDF - 151 KB)